A/N: Thanks again to Greatkingrat88 for his beta work on the chapter and those who have read the chapter and given feedback.

Now I am sad by how short this chapter ended up being, but as the title says it's a short interlude to cover some things that needed to be done before moving onto the next arc for the story.

Also, I am beginning to set the stage to narrow down Lelouch's love interest. It won't happen right away, but the stage is being set.

Now I'll respond a bit to GTI-1 (I sent a full PM for the rest of his review), or rather I'll mention why I am not considering a harem for those wondering. Because me and my beta just don't see one as likely happening, because mostly one Lelouch isn't the type to seek out a harem, heck he wouldn't go for a girlfriend unless a girl literally throws herself at her due to being more focused on his goals. Also some like Ava, Icari, and Sola I question if they would even be open to a harem, and how believable would it be for those involved and how could I justify it in story beyond being Fanservice. A threesome in comparison would be much easier to pull off than a harem consisting of say four, five, or seven women.

This chapter also has a scene addressing why Milly and C.C. aren't aiming for Lelouch themselves.

So that is all I will say, let me respond to those I couldn't send a PM too.

Guest: Thank you, and yeah while this chapter may not have as much going on it's a prelude to what will be happening in the coming chapters.

And you'll be getting that wish.

Anonymous: Yeah out of all of them I think Lynn is the most likely and has the biggest advantage, one in which is likely to make the first move before the rest. Now I don't know about Asaga and Chigara joining the Black Knights, because I am trying not to take away too much from Kayto. That won't happen with Lynn, thanks to Lelouch's command, but those jammers are likely to be made still and…expanded upon let's just say.

Blackving: Thank you, and the Honkai and Code Geass story is something I post when beta work for my three stories ends up delayed or something of the like.

As for Kings of Revolution, I did do an update for the story, but it got little feedback and hits so I lost my motivation for it and it didn't help my beta abandoned it too. I might resume it at some point, or redo it with a new beta, but that is debate for the future.

Chapter 23

Interlude

"Hey Chigara, how about this one!?"

Chigara walked past a pile of scrap to find her friend pointing to an old spacecraft fighter, an old Starblazer interception craft. It was aerodynamic, with a diamond-shaped wing design integrated into the fuselage, and it had twin engines for high-speed flight. It had a one-seat cockpit, and its armaments seemed to be functional still. Despite being almost a century old, it was in remarkably good shape.

"Uh, Asaga? That should really be in a museum," Chigara noted timidly.

"Nah, I think it will work. I mean, what else is there?"

Chigara wanted to protest, but knew she couldn't. For one person, obtaining a Ryder or even the parts to build one would be no small feat. The pair had gone through scrapyard after scrapyard, scavenging parts to work with. But unsurprisingly, such machinery was rare. What few parts they found were unusable for their purposes, and so the pair agreed their only option was to use whatever they could find, which in this case meant an old space fighter from over a hundred years ago.

Asaga and Chigara wore space suits as they walked around the scrapyard. Thankfully, the vacuum of space has seemed to keep much of the old wrecks and scrap in usable conditions. However, common space fighters were rendered obsolete over a hundred years ago due to Ryders being superior craft for combat in space, which is why Chigara had some serious reservations. Even so, Asaga was right: this was all that was there for them to use.

"I suppose I could try to modify it. I'll need to inspect it to see if it's combat worthy."

"Hooray! We got something at last! Space pirates, you better beware!"

I know you're good, Asaga, but I don't know how well this could work. You've trained to pilot a Ryder, not a antique Starblazer-class fighter, Chigara thought.

It had been some time since they escaped from Ryuvia Prime, and their escape plan had worked flawlessly. Although the Star Palace was impossible to break into, escaping from it wasn't quite as difficult. They had taken advantage of supplies funneled to and from the palace. While supplies such as food and such were heavily inspected and scanned using different means, payments sent from the palace once the supplies were received were not.

Late one night, they had stowed away aboard a return supply transport from the Star Palace after it delivered its cargo. The pair escaped planet side before making their way to the spaceport wearing disguises and using fake identifications Chigara had prepared beforehand. Once they left Ryuvia Prime and arrived at their destination they changed disguises and names again, then boarded another transport to another location hoping to cover up any potential trails anyone could use to find them.

Chigara had even slipped a specialized computer virus that would cover up and erase any record that could be used to find them as added insurance in the computers of every spaceport and shuttle they were on. They repeated this several times before setting on the world of Janus where they began their new lives as freelance mercenaries.

But to begin they needed a Ryder, but since they couldn't get one they have no choice, but to use a space fighter for the time being until they could afford what they needed.

"Hey Chigara what does this do?" Asaga called while searching through the opened cockpit.

"Wait, let me take a look."

We have to make this work, Chigara thought.

Meanwhile, on board the Rhongomyniad, Lelouch's personal flagship, Ava was heading back to her cabin after having completed an extensive tour after her arrival. She was assured everything she would need was in her cabin on her desk, her personal affects shipped there well in advance. Lelouch was not aboard, because he had some matters that needed his attention he had to address before the ship departed for its next mission.

However upon opening the door to her new cabin, which also had her office as new acting captain of the ship, she found a pair of familiar faces inside.

"Why hello, Ava. It's been forever," Milly said, looking over her shoulder and waving at Ava. C.C. was also present, both women seated in front of Ava's desk. Ava was stunned, but she walked inside, keeping her composure.

"May I ask why you two have been waiting here for me?" Ava asked, putting down the duffle bag carrying her belongings on a nearby sofa.

"There are some things we need to talk about, and this is best done behind closed doors," Milly mused with a smile, which put Ava on alert. It might be important, but Ava knew Milly well enough during her time in high school to suspect it was anything but. C.C.'s presence, however, was curious, so Ava decided to withhold judgment.

"We need to talk about Lelouch. And for the record, no one has told him yet you will be taking over for Jeremiah," C.C. said, getting straight to the point.

"Alright," Ava said, sitting down in her chair opposite the two women.

"Just so you know, you did earn this posting. Lelouch, Jeremiah and I have avoided influencing your rise through the ranks. But I'll admit one part of the reason you got this job is because you are among the few who know Lelouch's true identity. This will be important for a working relationship, given the importance and secrecy demanded of this mission…" C.C. said.

"...and someone who can be trusted by Lelouch and the core members of the Black Knights is a must correct?" Ava said.

"Yup, and you just happened to fit the bill," Milly said, snapping her fingers and pointing at Ava.

"I shall do my utmost as captain of this vessel to help him," Ava said reassuringly.

"We have no doubt about that, but there is something else we need to talk about," C.C. said, seeming uneasy. "We know you tend to run a tight ship, which is fine, but there is also the aspect of… Lelouch."

"Of course. We will be working together," Ava replied professionally.

"Not what we meant," Milly interjected.

"I don't follow," Ava replied, stone-faced.

"We're worried about Lelouch's interpersonal relationships with people. We're glad he is doing something productive again, but… well, he may be an emotionally distant person, but he could use a companion, somebody he could relate to and care for."

"You want me to be his friend? That seems a bit… unprofessional, don't you think?" Ava said hesitantly.

"In theory? Yes," C.C. conceded. "But at the highest level of command, which is where you will land- or at least close to it- we're a bit more… informal. We all know each other."

"You're already friends," Milly agreed, "and it should stay that way. And if it led to something more than that, well, that would be just fine too."

Milly smiled, but Ava shifted uncomfortably.

"I… you didn't set me up here so he could have a girlfriend, did you?"

"Milly might have, but I wouldn't have allowed it," C.C. said firmly. "You are here on merit. Your relationship- friendship- with Lelouch is an added bonus, even if the trust that means was a real consideration for your promotion. Forget about Milly, you know how she is- always looking to set people up. She should get a real hobby, if you ask me."

"Never," Milly said with a devilish smirk.

"If you're so interested, why don't one of you two go for it?" Ava muttered, her mood soured.

"There is a bit of a problem there," Milly began. "We're both immortal, and we both agreed Lelouch wouldn't want immortality even if we had a way to give it to him."

"The only other way would be for him to kill one of us, and we all know he would never do that. Meaning we would have to watch him grow old and die again. That… alone would be difficult to bear, being in an actual relationship, despite us wanting it, would be too much for us I fear," C.C. said, her expression of painful realization.

"Thanks to our codes, we can't give him children either. Instead, we wanted to encourage someone else to do what we can't," Milly said, eyeing Ava.

"Well, I… I have no such romantic inclinations," the new captain-to-be replied.

"I see," Milly said, noticing the shift in Ava's eyes.

"Well, with that in mind, I hope you'll be a friend to Lelouch during your time together, as well as a good right hand woman as you turn run this ship," C.C. said.

"I assure you I shall," Ava replied professionally.

"Then that's all we need for now," Milly said cheerily.

C.C. and Milly left Ava's office to let the woman to unpack and settle in, but once they were far enough down the hall, and after ensuring no one was around, the pair ducked into an unoccupied cabin to talk privately.

"I fear we may have spooked her," C.C. sighed. "I told you not to push too hard."

"What?" Milly shrugged. "You know what those two are like. Lelouch would need a woman practically throwing herself at him to even consider it, and Ava isn't exactly Ms Smooth herself."

"Well, that may be, but this kind of approach is more likely to sink the ship before it's headed out of port, if you catch my drift."

"Then I'll repair it before it sinks," Milly said confidently. "We've done enough. We've given Ava a little nudge, and the rest is up to her."

Ava settled into her chair. She had been ambivalent about the position; it was a great honor but also unexpected. She had had one great success; she was still young and inexperienced. When she had gotten the news she had feared nepotism, that it was her connection to Lelouch that had seen her elevated. As far as she was concerned, that was more or less confirmed true now. She was a friend, and trusted with his secret, and just competent enough to manage the ship in his absence. That did not inspire much confidence in merit, despite C.C.'s insistence to the contrary- and to top it off, Milly had had to go and make it weird.

Ava had barely even thought of that as a possibility until now. She had liked Lelouch, but he'd been lightyears away for so long, and even when she joined the Black Knights, he'd been in the high castle while she was little more than a foot soldier in his army. She sighed, reclining in her chair.

Back in school, she had always stuck with Kayto. But then Lelouch had come along, and she still both admired and resented him. Her first attempt at leadership, in the Student Council, had driven everyone but those two away. She had been too heavy-handed and overbearing. Then there was Lelouch, who was exactly the kind of leader she had always wanted to be- charismatic but also practical, capable of inspiring a whole movement and using it for good. To sit in this chair, to be his second-in-command, was both a wonderful feeling and a bit galling. In her heart of hearts, Ava could admit that she envied him. He had all the leadership qualities she didn't have, and experience to boot. She wanted to be his equal, but she knew that was an unattainable goal. What did she have on Zero himself, the man who already conquered the entire world before waking up many centuries later to lead another crusade for justice?

She felt lost. She wondered, staring out into the cold void of space, what she was doing with her life. She had rebelled, against her government, against the cruel dominance of her father. It had seemed right at the time. Now… now she was part of the inner circle of an intergalactic paramilitary organization, going from grunt to top leadership in what felt like no time at all. Thousands of people worked on this ship, and in Lelouch's absence, she was responsible for them all. One wrong move, and she might doom them all. That was the burden of leadership, and staring it in the face, Ava began to understand just how much had to weigh on Lelouch, always, all the time.

She sat upright, a sudden determination welling up inside her. That was all true- and exactly why this was not the time for doubt, or self pity, or hesitation. She had a job to do, and she would do it. How else would she ever become worthy of her title?

Elsewhere in the galaxy, Admiral Grey relaxed in his chair within his darkened office. The room was dark; there were special features built into the office itself to keep special calls he had with certain people strictly confidential. He used one hand to massage his right temple. His week had been stressful, but above all frustrating. Every concern he had about the Alliance not acting in the face of obvious and brutal PACT conquest of expansion had been not only proven, but trumped. It was worse than expected.

"Those idiots of the Progress Party…" Grey grumbled, allowing his frustration to show in a rare moment of a slip of a tongue.

"Admiral," Kryska said, reminding the admiral she was in the room.

"Oh, forgive me for speaking out of turn like that," Grey said modestly, annoyed at his lapse in self discipline.

"Not at all, sir. You were just expressing your opinion."

"I am glad you understand."

"Of course, sir. I am certain you are not the only one frustrated by Solar Congress' lack of action," Kryska said. Although she was an avid supporter of the Solar Alliance, she wasn't blind to the political deadlock. Especially now; the congress had not so much as reprimanded PACT.

"Too true. Now, let's get to the reason I called you here, Second Lieutenant Kryska," Grey began, using his holo to display some documents. "Zero and I have discussed, and he is concerned about potential breaches in their security. While he is confident they've patched up any openings, he would like someone to attempt to infiltrate the Black Knights to help locate any other holes in their security."

"You are suggesting me for this task, sir?"

"Yes. You are well trained in such fields as a special operative, and at the same time I am contemplating asking you to serve as an unofficial liaison to the Black Knights. Depending on how your mission goes," Grey replied.

"I understand, sir. But would the Black Knights accept me?"

"That will be up to you. Lelouch will no doubt be wary of you. But the rest, I can't say. However, with that in mind you are to do whatever you need to do to gain their trust, and especially Lelouch's. He'll be the most difficult, but not for good reasons even I cannot argue against."

"Understood, sir. I'll begin preparations."

At the same time in his office Lelouch was meeting with Icari. Lelouch had just finished his latest meeting with Admiral Grey, which had been among the many things he had to take care of before leaving on this next mission that would keep him away from the Black Knights for some time.

"I can't believe you asked the Admiral to do you that kind of favor," said Icari.

"Well, maybe having an outside look at our new security measures will help close any gaps in our screening process," Lelouch replied, reclining in his chair.

"After the work me, Lynn and Garibaldi have done, fat chance of that," the mercenary laughed proudly.

"I am hoping so, but we'll see."

"Hope's not necessary," Icari said, folding her arms with a grin.

"Right. So you'll leave for our intended destination tomorrow?"

"Yup, the meeting has already been set up between me and the resistance forces on the planet, thanks to your contacts."

"In five days, we'll leave for the planet as well. My ship will be on standby on the edge of the system, so we won't proceed to the planet until we get the signal that everything is ready."

"Then you'll fly in, using that stolen PACT ship and the authorization codes of travel from our puppet of a Veniczar. Gather those who are in charge, and put them under your Geass," Icari said, nodding approvingly.

"Then once we've gained control of all communications going off planet, the resistance and the forces you'll be commanding will eliminate the rest of PACT's forces, liberating the planet while keeping PACT in the dark about it. Then we rinse and repeat on other worlds controlled by PACT, as many as we can."

"You know, it will be impossible to do this for all of the worlds PACT is occupying. There are some strategically important worlds under heavy occupation due to their importance."

"I am aware, but with PACT now reorganizing their forces to avoid further losses, they'll be more concentrated on seizing worlds of more vital importance. This will make it harder for us to strike at them directly, but Kenway and I have made plans for this eventuality. We are designing new ships for more dedicated roles and task forces to destroy more of PACT's interstellar assets."

"And we'll use the time we get from PACT's reorganization to begin liberating worlds from right under their noses."

"Exactly. PACT will likely organize a large fleet to hunt us down. Even that will take time, just as the reorganization of their conquest fleets, so we must capitalize on this while we can. Recruitments and our numbers have soared, soon we'll have the crews needed to deploy the new ships into battle."

"Provided there are no spies among them, and they are sufficiently trained," Icari mused.

"Yes, but didn't you brag about the new security in place?" Lelouch mused, reminding Icari of her earlier words.

"Hey, just saying you should be cautious no matter what!"

"I can't say I disagree. Good luck in your mission, Icari."

"Good luck yourself. Hopefully the new captain of your ship will be a good fit."

"I hope so too. I'll be meeting them tomorrow, along with the squad of pilots assigned to accompany me," Lelouch replied. "Dismissed."

Icari shot him a sloppy salute, and with a smile, she walked away. Lelouch took a deep breath. They were doing well, but the stakes were higher than ever, and there was a lot that could go wrong. One step at a time, he thought to himself. One mission at a time, we'll stop them.

A/N: Well the short chapter has ended and Lelouch's plans to begin liberating as many worlds from PACT as he can will begin, with a certain Alliance officer attempting to infiltrate the Black Knights to test their new security measures who might join the cast if she succeeds.

Well Ava is now onboard the ship with Lelouch, which will likely include Maray, Sola, Icari and Lynn too, so just about everyone who could be romantically involved with Lelouch will be on one ship.

Meanwhile we got Chigara and Asaga trying to make it out on their own, which I wish I could've done more on their escape, but beyond a few details there wasn't enough info on the Star Palace to work with, and I wasn't sure if it be worth expanding more on it?

Anyway, my Kingdom Hearts crossover story is next, which afterwards will be my Fate/Grand Order story before it comes back to this story again. Thanks for reading everyone and I thank you in advance for any feedback.